Connecting link



Oct. 12, 1937. R. F. PEO

' CONNECTING LINK Filed Aug. 8' 1935 2r/EH Dr Ha/2 g, ,Deo

Patented Oct. 1.2, 18937 PATENT OFFICE Y 2,095,711 ooNNEoTlNG LINK RalphF. Iieo, Buffalo, N. Y., assigner to Houde Engineering Corporation,Bualo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 8, 1935,Serial No. 35,245

, 5 Claims.

My invention relates to connecting links adapted particularly forservice in automotive vehicles as for example for connecting the axlewith the 5 vehicle chassis body. Y

My improved link is of the type in which housings at the end of a rodcontain bushings of resilient material such as rubber in Which studswhich are to be connected are embedded so as to form` l avresilientjoint which is noiseless and does not require lubrication noradjustment.

An important object of the invention is to provide elongated cylindricalcup shaped housings drawn integral from sheet metal and closed at ltheir open Y ends by Walls Welded thereto and between which theconnecting rod or shank extends and is preferably secured by welding tothe Walls.

A further object is to provide an arrangement 20 in which the end Wallsof the housing cups are inserted under pressure to give the bushingsWithin the housing the required compression tting, securing or Weldingof the Walls being accomplished during the pressure operation so that 25upon release of the pressure the bushings will be under the requiredcompression.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means forpreventing rotational displacement of a bushing in its housing so thatits stud receiving cavity Will be maintained in proper position relativeto the opening in the housing through which the stud extends.

The above enumerated and other features of my invention are incorporatedin the structure 35 disclosed on the accompanying drawing, in whichdrawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the link;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the link and connected studs and withone of the link heads in 40 longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is a section on plane III-III in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is the section of one of the heads showing a modiedarrangement.

45 The connecting link structure shown comprises heads I-l and I-I' anda rod or shank R secured to and connecting the heads. Each headcomprises a housing'body I0 in the form of an elongated cylindrical cuppreferably drawn from suitable 50 sheet metal such as steel. In the openend of each housing cup is secured an annular Wall structure IIpreferably of U-shape cross-section to provide outer and inner annularWalls or flanges I2 and I3 and a transverse Wall I4, the

55 annularwvalls extending outwardly. The Wall lever arm of a shockabsorber mounted on the structure maybe drawn from sheet metal and it issecured in place in the end of the housing preferably by Welding theWall flange I2 to the housing by any suitable Welding process.

The inner flanges I3 of the end walls receive 5 the end of the rod orshank Rand the rod is rigidly secured preferably by welding the ilangesI3 Athereto in any suitable manner.

i The chamber formed in each head by the housing cup and its end Wall II is iilled by a bushing B of resilient material such as rubber, thebushing being integrally molded. Each bushing has a cavity I5intermediate its ends extending transversely therein from one sidethereof and shaped in accordance with the end of a stud which it is toreceive and to which stud the link is to be connected. The studs or armsI6 and I'I shown have flat ends I8 of hexagonal contour and thereforethe cavities I5 in the bushings are of similar Shape.

Each housing cup has an opening I9 in one side thereof elongated in adirection parallel With the housing axis and the elongated openingregistering with and crossing the mouth of the cavity in the bushing,the plane of such cavity being at right angles with the longitudinalaxis of the bushing so that the cavity extends transversely ofthe-elongated opening in the housing cup. The neck 2E! of the stud atthe base of the flat or spade end I8 is of a Width slightly less thanthe 30 minor axis of the elongated opening I9 and the maximum Width ofthe end I8 is slightly less than the length of the major axis of theopening I9. With this arrangement connection lbetween the finished linkstructure and a stud can be readily accomplished. The link and a studare iirst brought into relative position for reception of the end I8through the opening I9 whereupon, by the exertion of pressure, thetapered front edge of the end I8 may be forced into the bushing cavity40 I5 by displacement of the rubber and then the stud and link arerelatively turned until the flat stud end accurately seats in thecorrespondingly shaped cavity, and the resilient joint will becompleted, the flat end then extending crosswise of the housing cupopening I9 and being thereby locked against displacement through theopening.

In order that the resilient bushings may snugly hold the socket and thestud ends, the bushings are preferably under compression. Suchcompression can be readily introduced When the end Wall structures I Iare secured in the housing cups. The end Wall structures are firstWelded to the rod R, and then after insertion of the bushing materialinto the housing cups, the end. Wall structures Il are inserted and theassembled structure put under axial pressure until the bushings havebeen properly compressed and then electric welding current is appliedfor welding of the end Wall structures to the housing cups.

In order to prevent rotational displacement of the bushings and to keepthe bushing cavities in proper alignment with the housing openings, thebottoms of the housing cups are indented to provide keys or lugs 2lwhich receive the indentations 22 molded into the ends of the bushings.As shown the bottoms of the housing cups are semi-spherical and the lugsmay extend transversely thereacross to aord sulicient engagement areawith the bushings to prevent rotational displacement thereof.

The end wall structures H may be concave on their inner sides so thatthe bushings will be of egg shape, as shown in Figure Ll, or these wallsmay be at on their inner sides as shown in Figure 2.

My improved connecting link may be very economically manufactured and itis of light weight yet of great strength and rigidity.

I have shown and described a practical and efficient embodiment ofthervarious features of my invention but I do not desire to be limitedto the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and describedas changes and modifications may be made without departing from thescope of the invention.

I claim -as follows:

1. In connection structure of the class described, a connection head inthe form of a housing, a connecting rod securedto the housing, saidhousing having a side opening, a bushing of resilient materialcompressed in said housing and having a cavity in alignment with saidhousing opening for'the reception of a stud to be connected, and saidVhousing having an indented portion cooperating with the bushing toprevent displacement thereof and to maintain its cavity in properalignment with the housing opening.

2. In link structure of the class described, a head in the form of asheet metal cup, an end wall secured in said cup and a connecting rodextending therefrom, said cup having a side opening, a bushing ofresilient material compressed in said cup and having a cavity alignedwith the cup opening to receive the end of a member to be connected, thebottom of the cup being indented inwardly to form a key, and a groove inthe bushing receiving the key whereby rotary displacement of the bushingwill be prevented.

3. In connecting link structure of the class described, a headcomprising a cylindrical onepiece metal cup and a cross wall structurein the mouth thereof, said cross Wall structure being annular and ofU-shaped cross-section to provide outer and inner annular anges, saidcross wall structure being secured by welding of its outer flange to thecup, a connecting rod received by the inner flange of the cross wall andwelded thereto, said cup having a side opening, a bushing of resilientmaterial filling said cup and having a cavity in alignment with said cupopening for the reception of the end of a member to be connected, andmeans on said cup engaging said bushing to prevent rotationaldisplacement thereof.

4. In link structure of the class described, a headcomprsing a one-piecemetal cup and an annular closure wall in the mouth of the cup having aU-shaped cross section to provide inner and outer flanges, a bushing ofresilient material in the cup, said closure wall being applied withpressure against the bushing to compress the same and being then weldedalong its outer flange to the cup, a connecting rod extending from theclosure wall and welded to the inner flange, said cup having an openingand said bushing having a cavity in registration therewith for receivingthe end ci a member to be connected and inserted through the cupopening.

5. In a link, a cup-shaped housing, an end wall closing the open end ofthe cup-shaped housing, a connecting rod extending from the end wall,said housing having an opening therethrough, a rubber bushing in saidhousing having a formed cavity therein aligned With the opening of thehousing to receive the head of a stud therein, a portion of said housingand a portion of said bushing being in key and slot relation with eachother to maintain the bushing cavity in alignment with the opening.

RALPH F. PEO.

